


Kylo Ren/Reader

by Khaleesi_of_Assassins



Series: Star Wars Dark Side Scanarios [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Romance, Sith, Slow Burn, also, some EU mixed with canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2019-06-18 16:18:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15489798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khaleesi_of_Assassins/pseuds/Khaleesi_of_Assassins
Summary: Growing up an orphan on the streets of Onderon taught you many things; how to move around quickly, how to fix up a blaster, but most importantly how to survive. So, when a stranger accidentally involves you in a plot that might determine the fate of the First Order and of the Jedi, you find that the greatest of your skills will be put to the test.





	1. Meeting

     You had become an expert and knowing when to run. Now was one of those times. 

     “You scammed me!” the weequay roared after you, pulling a vibroknife from its place on his back and barreling down the street after you. You swore under your breath, though you knew he had at least some right to be angry. You  _ had _ overcharged him for the blaster, but that was the norm in the markets  

     Now though, you were immeasurably thankful for the fact that he didn’t have a long ranged weapon as you ran, leaping over tables and crates that blocked your way as you had learned to do so gracefully. The  man’s yelling grew more and more distant, and with a wicked grin you rounded a corner and ducked behind a stack of boxes. Your grin only widened when you saw the weequay run past you unaware of your hiding spot, allowing you to stand with a feeling of victory.

     It was short-lived, however.

     Too fast for you to react, a hand was slapped over your mouth, pulling you against whoever it belonged to. You tried to scream, thrashed about and bit at him, but it was to no avail. “I’m sorry about this,” he said, lifting his other hand to reveal a box that glowed so brightly you had to squint to even stand it. As the light disappeared, you doubled over, dazed. 

     The man behind you released you and you fell to your hands and knees, looking up to see him dash into the street. “Hey!” you called out, struggling to stand but managing to stumble into the street.

     The man was running, still holding the strange box in his hand. “Hey!” you yelled again, regaining some of your balance and going after him, only to stop when you heard screams. Skidding to a halt, you saw several storm troopers of the First Order appear from another street aways ahead of you. At the head of their group was a man shrouded in black, his face hidden by a sinister mask as he stalked towards the man with the box.

     As he drew closer to the man, you felt your gut wrench, terrified of what would happen next. 

     The man straightened himself, trying to hide his trembling form as the masked man stared him down. Everything was still for a moment, with just the sound of your heart pounding echoing in your ears until the silence was ripped apart by a  _ snap-hiss _ . The masked man pulled something from his belt and a streak of red slashed from the man’s shoulder to his stomach and he fell to the ground.

     Your eyes widened in horror as the street erupted in chaos, people pushing past one another in a desperate attempt to run. You watched the masked man kneel down, picking up the strange box that lay on the street before he looked up . . . directly at you. 

     He stood slowly, a predator studying prey, his hidden gaze holding yours for a moment before turning away, leaving you frozen next to the scene of horror. Yes you knew when you needed to run, but now you found you had lost the ability.   


	2. When He Sees You Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most people have bad dreams following a bad experience. The real trouble is when your nightmares come after you in real life.

     It took you hours to get to sleep.

        You had stared up at the ceiling for a good part of the night before you finally drifted to sleep, only to see the masked man again as you slept. Only in the dream was worse. As the man in black raised his weapon and struck, the man who held the box looked back at you as he fell. “Help me,” he whimpered over and over again but you stood there, motionless.

        Until the man in the mask looked at you again . . . and began walking towards you.

        You ran the other direction as fast as you could, only to find him in front of you, that baneful mask hiding what had to have been a piercing gaze beneath it. Again you ran and again he was in front of you, an endless cycle until you found yourself at a dead end. You looked around desperately for an escape, only for a hand to grasp your throat.

        He lifted you in the air, the man in the mask peering into your eyes as he leaned in closer. You woke up gasping for air, still feeling his hand around your neck.

        ---

        His rage finally waning, Kylo Ren deactivated his lightsaber before hanging it on his belt. The holocron had been empty. Not a single piece of information was in it, and his anger could have annihilated the entire Star Destroyer, if he had let it. “S-sir,” the shaky voice of an officer pulled Kylo’s attention away from the destruction he had caused, meeting the man’s terrified eyes.

        “It’s empty,” Kylo growled, pulling the holocron to him with the Force.

        The officer looked from the artifact to him, clearly unsure of what to make of it. “How?” he stammered, asking the question Kylo had already considered.

        He let his mind clear a bit, his memory going back to the man who he cut down in the street, the sound of screams filling the air . . . and a pair of (E/C) eyes staring at him in horror. Realization hit him and he turned to the officer once again.

        “Prepare a shuttle for launch,” the man looked at Kylo, confused. “I know where the data is.”

        ---

        Struggling to keep yourself awake, you stood from your small market stall and grabbed one of the blasters that sat atop it. You busied yourself with cleaning it, finding it helped to take your mind off things a bit. At least, until you looked up to see a man in white armor standing at the other end of the street.

        Your eyes became locked on the Stormtrooper, feeling as though you were staring at doom. Your concentration was only broken when a familiar voice sounded next to you.

        “There you are,” you looked up to see the weequay from yesterday casting a long shadow over you, a look of anger in his eyes as he grabbed you by the shirt collar. The attention of the people in the market was diverted to you as you were pulled to your feet, your eyes widening as a blade was brought to you neck.

        “Please, I didn’t know that the blaster wouldn’t work-”

        “Shut up,” he warned, pressing the blade’s serrated edge closer to your throat, “you know better than to cross me, don’t you?”

        “Y-you can have your credits back,” you pleaded, seeing no anger leaving his eyes.

        “Oh I will have my credits back, but after you’re dead.” You kicked desperately in an attempt to free yourself only for him to slam you into a wall, making your head spin. “It’ll send a nice message.”

        You squirmed again, watching the brute move the blade to one side of your throat, the tip pressing into your skin and making blood trickle down your neck. He smiled, about to drag the knife across your skin when you heard a _snap-hiss_ , and a gasp from the man as a blade of red light stabbed through his abdomen before disappearing and letting him fall to the ground.

        Only to reveal the man in the mask standing before you.

        He took a few strides to get to you, looming over you as he studied you through the mask. You dared not speak as he lifted a hand to your head, a crushing silence enveloping you before your world went black.


	3. (In)voluntary Assistance

        You couldn’t remember ever being so cold. Your whole life you had lived under the warm sun of Onderon, so as you now lay alone in the dark you felt more out of place than you ever had. Of course, not knowing where you were was a contributing factor.

        Sitting up, you looked around as your eyes adjusted to the lack of light. When they did, you could see just the outline of the room you sat in. I was small and completely empty, save for yourself and the bed you sat on. Though it didn’t stay that way for long.

        You jumped as a door slid open, the grey light that spilled in making it difficult to see. Still, you could hear heavy footsteps against the floor, stopping just in front of you. 

        Looking up, you found yourself gazing into the sinister mask that had plagued your thoughts. “What do you want with me?” you were surprised you had managed to speak, and tried not to show any of the fear crippling you. 

        The man was silent for a moment before speaking, his voice inhuman and deep. “You have something I want.” 

_         What? _ You had next to nothing, let alone anything that would be of interest to the First Order. But then you remembered the glowing light of the box that man had been carrying. The one that the man standing before you now had taken from his body, and you suddenly felt your gut wrench. 

        “I . . . I don’t know what you mean . . .” you tried to explain, though he only chuckled. 

        “You do.” Again, he raised a hand to your head and you flinched away. Then you felt it. Another presence in your mind like a shadow, seeping through your thoughts and memories. You couldn’t speak, only feel him rip through your thoughts as though they were paper, then withdraw quickly with a hiss.

        “Where is it?” he demanded, while you tried to recollect yourself. 

        “What?” you breathed, seeing that he had moved in much closer to you. 

        “The data from the holocron. Where is it?”

        Your eyes went wide as his voice grew in anger. “I . . .” you stammered before another voice sounded behind him.

        “Sir,” the man whirled around to see a stormtrooper standing before him, his expression no doubt one of fear behind the white mask. “General Hux wishes to know about the holocron . . .”

        “We have it,” the dark-cloaked man said, looking over his shoulder at you, seeming to be deep in thought, “but it is locked away. It will be some time before it can be extracted.” Your own breathing became more ragged. 

        “Please, I don’t have anything, I don’t know anything about a holocron!” you pleaded, making the man turn around to face you fully. 

        “You may not know, but you do have what I need.” He looked down at you for a few more moments before stepping away and closing the door behind him. 


	4. To the Stars

The feeling of not having enough to eat was familiar enough to you that you barely noticed it for the first few hours. Your business was - had been - going steadily for the past few years, despite the occasional unsatisfied customer, but you never were very wealthy at all. This had lead to a few nights when you had little to eat, but now your stomach ached.

        You didn’t know how long you had sat in that dark cell after the man in the mask had left, but with the pain you were experiencing now, you guessed it must have been at least a day.

        Standing from your bed you began pacing the room, trying to take your mind off things. Of course, that was far more easily said than done. You were distracted enough, however, that you jumped when the door in front of you slide open. A dim light flooded into the room, enough to make you squint away.

        “Come with me,” a harsh voice ordered, though you were relieved that it didn’t belong to the dark man who had captured you.

        When your vision adjusted, you saw a Stormtrooper standing before you, his white armor bearing several scuff marks and imperfections that told a story you couldn’t fully read. You stepped forward slowly, your eyes studying him as you came closer. “Where are you taking me?”

        The Stormtrooper seemed to study you in return, his helmet tilted towards you as he answered. “You’re being taken to Kylo Ren. You will give him the information he wants.”

        “I don’t know anything about the holocron,” you shook your head as the soldier fastened cuffs around your wrists.

        He didn’t respond this time, he simply turned and yanked you forward and the door slid shut behind you.

        You had never seen the inside of a space ship before, let alone one the size of the craft you walked through now. Were you not accompanied by an armed escort, you might have been soaking in every detail.

        The gun that rested just a few centimeters from your back was a clear reminder of where you were. You continued to move forward, trying not to give the Stormtrooper behind you  any reason to shoot. A few more corners were rounded before you found yourself on what appeared to be a command deck of some sort, and despite your fear you couldn’t help but stop at the sight of it.

        Of course you had seen the stars before, you didn’t know a life-form in the galaxy that didn’t, but what you saw out of the large windows before you made your breath catch in your throat.

        Stars pierced the veil of night outside in greater numbers than you had ever imagined, though even they paled in comparison to the great body capturing your attention. It was a mixture of bright reds, oranges and yellows, a wildfire in the night sky. Stopping in your tracks, you stared at it with wide (E/C) eyes, before heavy footfalls broke you from your concentration.

        You met the hidden eyes of the masked man once again as he made his way towards you. “You have never seen one, have you?” He asked, not needing to specifying what he was talking about.

        Suddenly much more tense, you shook your head.

        A moment of silence followed by giving the order; “Take her,” was the only response you received.

\---

        Your destination was a dimly lit room, circular and considerably larger than your cell. You were unceremoniously tossed in by the Stormtroopers, landing hard on the ground.

        You shot a glare at them through the (H/C) strands of your hair that had fallen about your face, though they either didn’t notice or didn’t care. The door closed behind them, and you stood from the cold floor.

        Alone once again, you took in your surroundings. Grey walls and grey floors surrounded you, a single grey pedestal sitting in  the center of the room. You had no idea what it was for, and you didn’t have much time to speculate before the door behind you opened. Unsurprisingly, the masked man - Kylo Ren - walked through it before it shut once again.

        “I told you before, I don’t know anything about a holocron,” you said, your difference in height becoming much more apparent as he stepped closer to you.

        “Perhaps not. But you do carry the data it held.” He lifted his right hand, showing you the now faintly pulsing box that he had killed for before placing it on the pedestal behind you. “It has been imprinted on your mind.”

        You swallowed, suddenly very afraid of what he was implying. “And . . . if it’s in my mind . . . how are you supposed to get it?”

        He chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down your spine. “Don’t worry, there are techniques.”

        You recalled how he had forced you into a sleep when he captured you, and the thought made you begin to back away. Still, when he lifted a hand, you felt his presence in your mind yet again.

        Only this time, you were conscious of it all.

        It was as if he was pulling your very thoughts and memories apart, sifting through them before tossing them aside as he searched for something that shouldn’t be there at all. You nearly doubled over, it was so much to take in. You could see the past few days, then months, and even years into  your past. Things you had forgotten flashed through your mind . . . and then some things that had never happened to you at all.

        There was a man, tall and with brown hair that was turning grey. Next to him was a very beautiful woman, her eyes kind and warm. A sensation of anguish took over you, though you quickly realized it was not of your own making.

        But it was all replaced by a pair of glowing yellow eyes.

        Your breathing intensified as you saw a man materialize in your memories, his body covered in jagged armor, and his smile striking fear into your heart. _“One Master and one apprentice; one to embody the power, the other to crave it.”_ He spoke the words in a voice you had never heard, and pain spread from the base of your skull to behind your eyes forced you to the ground.

        Kylo withdrew from your mind, both of you bracing yourselfs against the metal floor.

        You looked up at him steadily, taking some small comfort in the fact that he seemed as confused and terrified as you were. Was it his master perhaps? Or something in the holocron that was imbedded in your thoughts?

        The masked man stood quickly and left without a word, leaving you in the room.

        In an attempt to calm yourself, you thought back to the fire in the sky you had seen out the glass of the ship, though your thoughts only seemed to drift back to what might happen to you with this data inside your head


	5. A New Life

        You had not been taken back to your cell, which you assumed only meant that Kylo Ren was going to return soon, something you dreaded.

        Especially considering the state the two of you had been left in after his last attempt to take the data from your mind. It wouldn’t be long before he came back, you assumed, but you savored your few moments alone, with no information that threatened to kill you from its place in your head.

        When the door opened again you began to shake, keeping your back pressed against the wall and your eyes on the floor. You tried to prepare yourself for what was about to happen, tried to shield your thoughts in some way . . . until white armor came into view and a tray was placed at your feet.

        You looked up at the Stormtrooper in surprise, recognizing him as the one who had brought you to this room.

        A few moments passed before you spoke, your voice stronger than you thought it would be. “Thank you.”

        The Stormtrooper nodded before standing straight and leaving.

        The food was certainly strange. It was bland, but not in the same way that your food had always been. This food tasted like its only purpose was to keep a person from starvation while flavor had not been a consideration at all.

        Still, you had cleaned the tray by the time the door opened again later, the same soldier standing there . . . and Kylo Ren looming like a shadow behind him.

        You might have felt self-conscious were you anywhere else as the Stormtrooper walked over and took the empty tray from you but as Kylo Ren entered the room you felt nothing but fear. And he knew it.

        “You’re afraid,” he said, watching you as you tried to keep your composure, “but of what?”

        You looked up at him. He should have been the very definition of fear for most, a faceless man with power over the minds of others and who could kill without feeling. You did indeed fear him, but not with the same dread you bore towards the information he wanted.

        Your lack of an answer made him step closer, looking down at you from behind the mask. “You have yet to tell me your name.” His words shocked you. Your name? Was this some sort of game to him?

        He knelt in front of you, and you could swear you met a pair of eyes behind the mask. “(Y/N),” you said, watching him carefully for his next move.

        His hands moving made you flinch, but you soon realized they reached for his the back of his mask, taking hold before slowly pulling it off.

        When it was fully removed, you found that your lips had parted in disbelief. You had many times imagined what visage hid beneath the mask, with all number of ideas racing through your mind. What you had not imagined was a face so human. Brown eyes gazed into yours rather than yellow ones, as you had expected. There was no horrible disfiguration, save for a nose which seemed to have been broken at one time or another.

        However what surprised you the most was how young he looked.

        “You will be here for some time, (Y/N). The information I need is proving difficult to obtain, and it will take time to remove it.” You nodded, searching his eyes for any sign of aggression towards you. You found none, only a hard determination. “It will be far easier - and less painful - if your mind is relaxed while I search, but it will still be a long process.”

        The conversation appeared to be over as he stood and began walking towards the door though it didn’t stop you from asking the question you had dreaded. “And when you have what you need, will I go home?”

        His footsteps paused, and you caught a glimpse of his brown eyes as he locked back at you. “You know the answer to that.”

        In moments, Kylo Ren was gone and you were alone with your terrifying and alien thoughts once again. Your heart sank as you processed his words over and over again. _I’m going to die here,_ you thought, shaking as you hugged your knees to your chest.

        The lights flickered in the strange room, so faintly you almost didn’t notice but soon you felt a familiar presence. There was no voice to accompany it, but you could almost feel the yellow eyes of the man on you, as though he were standing over you. It was a fleeting moment that soon passed, but one chilling enough to leave you madly checking and rechecking the room for a man who wasn’t there.

        You could barely explain your logic when you wished that Kylo Ren had remained with you.


	6. Allies

        You’d lost track of the amount of time you’d been aboard the First Order’s ship. In reality it had probably only been a few days. To you, it felt like an eternity.

        After you had come face to face with Kylo Ren, you had been taken from the room containing the holocron and moved back to one of the cells of the ship. Still, it was not as pitch black as the one you had first woken up in, and had become the thing closest to a room of your own you had aboard the ship.

        It offered some small comfort from the situation you were in.

        You lay on your bed, slowly drifting into a deep sleep. Until you saw those eyes.

        He loomed like a shadow over you, the man in armor, his glowing yellow eyes gazed down on you. You weren’t even sure if he was real, with the darkness of the room hiding most of his form, but the whispering in your head told you otherwise. He had appeared to you several times already, though usually in dreams.

        You felt as though you had forgotten how to breath, as you sat up. You wanted desperately to run, but even if you found yourself able to there was nowhere to go.

        “What do you want from me?” you whispered, staring at the man wide-eyed.

        He gave no response, as though he could not hear you. He merely smiled, his mouth visible under the frightening armor he wore.

        You did not sleep for the rest of the night.

        -----

_Kylo Ren knew this was a dream. He also knew that he’d had a similar one several times before._

_The Jedi Temple was burning before him, as blaster bolts raced across the battlefield. Bodies were strewn across the ground and up the Temple’s steps, the bodies of Jedi and guards. Jedi he’d trained with not days before the attack happened. Jedi he’d killed._

_Their faces all stared up at him, each boasting a look of betrayal as Kylo Ren passed them, making his way towards the entrance to the Temple._

_Only when he stepped inside the Temple did he notice a difference from previous versions of the dream._

_He was no longer standing inside the Jedi Temple, but another building which he had never seen before. Lining the walls were cloaked statues, seeming to mirror the figure that stood at the center of the room. He turned to face the Master of the Knights of Ren, lowering his hood to reveal jagged body armor and yellow eyes. Kylo recognized him immediately and drew his lightsaber, igniting its blood-red blade._

_The man did not seem concerned, as he stepped closer, examining him. “So you are the boy who pretends to know the Dark Side.” He stopped almost a meter away, unafraid of the glowing red weapon that Kylo pointed at his heart._

_“What do you know of me?”_

_“Enough. You seek my power.” Kylo Ren narrowed his eyes as the man paused. “My power is earned through pain. Only the strong will command it. The weak will die.” There was barely enough time to react when the man moved, a_ snap-hiss _striking Kylo Ren’s ears as a lightsaber was plunged through him._

        -----

        You were exhausted, your vision blurring as you were led towards your home away from home. Even with your focus wavering, you knew the way there by heart now. Lazily, you turned your gaze towards the viewport when you passed, a new cluster of sparkling stars, pinpricks in the black fabric of the sky.

        The ship had moved.

        Kylo Ren was waiting for you in the grey room, staring at the holocron at its center. His mask was on, hiding his expression from view but he still managed to look as though he were contemplating something.

        Not wasting any time, the Stormtroopers at your side were quick to leave. The door slammed shut behind them, and your shoulders lowered as though a great weight had been pressed down on them. You wanted nothing more than to run, to forget the whole thing and not fear the shadows on the wall . . . but you knew the only person who might be able to rid you of the voices was walking towards you now, removing his helmet.

        He tried to mask it, but you could see a shadow of concern hidden in his eyes.

        “You did not sleep last night, did you?” his question surprised you. Your comfort wasn’t exactly on his list of priorities, last you checked.

        Still, as you felt as though you were simple shuffling around the First Order ship, there was no point in lying so you shook your head. That was when you noticed the dark rings under his own eyes. “You . . . you couldn’t either, could you?”

        He gave you something short of a glare, but you stood tall against it. After all, what more could he possibly do to you?

        Eventually, he too shook his head. “What do you know of the Force?” he asked, again taking you off guard.

        “I’ve heard rumors but . . . nothing really.”

        He didn’t seem surprised with your answer. “When a being with a great connection to the Force dies, they can sometimes remain in essence,” his gaze shifts to the holocron sitting at the center of the room, its dim pulsing tracing your shadows on the walls. “When the old Sith Lords created the holocrons, they imprinted their consciousness on them so they could pass on their teachings, or live on.” The meaning of his words was beginning to sink in as he continued, making your own gaze move to the relic that started all of this. “I see him too.”

        His confession pulled your attention back to him.

        “Who is he?” you couldn’t help but ask, hoping for some explanation as to who had been haunting you for the past few days.

        Kylo Ren shook his head. “I don’t know, but he is powerful.” He paused, taking a few steps closer. “I will do what I can to keep him from your mind.” You did not need to be convinced that the man with yellow eyes was indeed dangerous, that he was going to plague your dreams and make you afraid of the shadows. Still, it did not explain why Kylo Ren was offering you any help at all.

        “Why would you help me?”

        “Because he is a danger to us both.” That was when it became clear, the tiredness in his eyes, the look of worry he tried to hide, it was because he had seen him last night too, and whatever had happened was enough to _scare_ him. That premise alone made you worry more.

        All the same, he was offering a possible end to your nightmares and that was enough for you. “Thank you,” you turned the tables and surprised yourself when you spoke.

        The act was enough to make his eyes find your own, a silent pact though still not one of your survival. “Let’s begin.”

 


	7. Whispers in the Dark

        “Agh!” Your eyes snapped open just in time to see Kylo Ren stumble backwards, his own eyes squeezed shut and his face pulled into a grimace. You could sympathize, placing a hand to your head, which felt like a fire had been lit inside of it at the present moment.

        Whoever it was that had taken up residence in your mind seemed to have no plans of leaving anytime soon, and both you and Kylo seemed to be suffering for it.

           “Are you alright?” you asked when the pain in your own head subsided. You knew you shouldn't have been concerned for the man in any capacity, but the mutual suffering had united the two of you, in a strange way. You knew it wasn't a friendship - you weren't sure you wanted that - but it was something.

          Kylo Ren nodded, regaining his composure and moving towards you again. “He’s losing strength.” You were hard pressed to believe what the young man said, his already pale skin drained of color from exertion.

        It was as if the battle going on inside your head was, for Kylo Ren, happening in the room you were standing in.

        He didn’t waste any time though, taking a few steps towards you and raising his hand yet again. No words were required for you to know what he was preparing to do, and you did all you could to brace yourself for what happened next, squeezing your eyes shut as you prepared for the pain yet again.

        Only no pain came.

_“You fear me, don’t you child?”_ You shuddered when you heard the voice, knowing exactly who it belonged to. You opened your eyes, only to see him standing at your side, still encased in his armor, his yellow gaze fixed on you. _“You do not need to.”_

        He turned towards you, but you didn’t dare to meet those eyes.

        Still, you could feel him examining you with those predatory eyes, his entire stature making you feel completely powerless next to him. Part of you knew there was some truth to that.

        Kylo Ren didn’t move an inch. With wide eyes you looked to him in terror, a silent plea for help, only to be met with stillness. It was as if time had stopped moving around you, leaving only you and the armored man to move through it.

        “What do you want from me?” you asked, barely a whisper as the man circled in front of you.

        His eyes narrowed as he looked at you. _“I want to help you. To make you realize what you are. What you were meant to be.”_

        You didn’t have time to react before you felt the world around you tilt and slip away, the room around you replacing itself with a barren wasteland. With wide eyes you looked up to the man, the only constant in your new landscape. _“The boy who seeks the knowledge you now hold is nothing. He is blinded by what he cannot achieve. You are different.”_

        He reached towards you, making you flinch away. “Don’t touch me.” You tried to put some venom in your words, though not with much effect it seemed as the man only smirked.

_“If you wish to keep me at bay, do so. You have that power.”_

        You didn’t have time to question his words before he raised a hand and it felt like the weight of the whole galaxy was pressing down on you. Your knees buckled despite your protestations, and your arms were shaking as you caught yourself, trying to keep you upright. _“But if you do not use that power, you will be simply another slave. Such is the way of the weak.”_

        It felt like a hand had been tightened around your throat, forcing you to gasp for air, using one of your own hands  to claw at something that wasn’t there. _“Use your power. Use it to save yourself. I will not stop until you force me to.”_

        With your vision going dark at the edges, you could feel your life slipping away. Death was never out of the question for anyone, least of all you, but you had never imagined dying like this. Were you not on the brink of crumpling to the floor, subject to the power of a man trapped in your own mind, you might have laughed.

_Yes,_ your eyes widened, _in my mind._

        You strained against the pressure around you, baring your teeth as you resisted. The weight of it all only increased, pushing you further towards the ground. Anger boiled up inside of you. _No. Not like this._ The next few moments seemed to span eternity, you losing the strength to do anything but lift your head, only to see a pleased glint in the man’s yellow eyes.

_No._

        Your head dropped back down, bile rising in the back of your throat.

_No._

        You dug your nails into the ground beneath you, your knuckles turning white.

_No._

        A feral scream ripped its way out of your throat, a new found strength coming with it. You pushed yourself upright, holding your arms at your side, a sudden feeling of clarity overwhelming you. You could feel matter bend and crumple around you, warped by the wave you had sent out. Pieces of metal clashed together as you pushed them away.

        But most of all, you focused your attention on the dark man in front of you. He had been thrown back, landing on the ground. Slowly, you rose to your feet, your vision  practically going red as you reached out a hand as he had, throwing him yet again. This time though he seemed to hit a wall, though there was nothing there.

        It wasn’t until you were surrounded by the remains of your cell that you realized it had just been an illusion . . . and that Kylo Ren was now slumped against the carnage.

        The blaring sound of the alarm was just beginning to register with you as you saw the cloaked young man rise from the ground, his expression contorted in pain. Anger was replaced with fear as you backed away. “I- I didn’t-” you stammered, trying to search for some forgiveness in his eyes. You didn’t know how, but you did know that the room you had been standing in just a few moments ago was now destroyed, and that it was you who destroyed it.

        “What’s happening to-” you had barely formed the question when the sound of heavy footfalls halted you.

        You had just begun to turn your head when you saw Ren move, out of the corner of your eye. “ _Stop!”_ he commanded, reaching a hand towards the armored men who had entered the room. His order seemed to fall on deaf ears, however, as a flash of red burned through the room.

        You let out a surprised yelp as the blaster bolt burned through you, pain sweeping from your shoulder as you collapsed on the ruined floor.

\-----

        He had known something went wrong, he knew that your mind was close to snapping. Still, he had pushed on and had paid the price.

        His own wounds were nothing - bruises and scrapes - but he should have sensed your ability to give them to him. Kylo Ren looked through the glass in front of him and into the infirmary, watching several tense medics rush around the girl lying on the bed before them.

        The blaster bolt had been very close to your heart, according to the doctors. They had said you’d been lucky, but it was him that had stopped the shot from killing you instantly, not luck.

        “Next time you intend to involve one of your pet projects with the First Order, take care to ensure it doesn’t endanger our operations.” Ren didn’t visibly react to the General’s approach, though he allowed himself to scowl beneath his mask a bit.

        The Knight turned to face the red-haired man, who was glaring rather severely at him. “The damage to the ship is irrelevant. The holocron and its data are both intact.”

        “Then I’m sure you will be informing Supreme Leader Snoke of this development immediately?”

        Ren knew what he meant, glancing back at you. Hux’s gaze moved as well, no doubt a bit surprised that a lone girl could cause the damage that you had. Kylo was surprised himself, though he wouldn’t admit it to the General. “As soon as the girl recovers, I will bring her to him.”

        Hux nodded. “Good. The sooner her power is contained, the better.”  

        Part of him wanted to maim the General right then and there, but it was eclipsed greatly by his desire to do the same to another. He didn’t know why, nor did he need a particular reason, but he wanted to ensure that the soldier who had fired the shot that had nearly killed you did not live much longer.

        It wasn’t hard to make that a reality.


	8. Master and Apprentice

You weren’t sure where you were headed, but for some reason you hadn’t jumped for joy when Kylo Ren told you that you would be leaving the ship with him. It was one of the first things he’d said to you once you’d woken up, but with his tone you knew it wasn’t because you were being set free. Now you sat aboard his private shuttle, gently massaging the tender flesh of your healing shoulder.

        The wound wouldn’t cause any permanent damage, or so the medics of the First Order had assured you. You were glad for that. An ancient Sith spirit keeping you awake at night was enough personal trouble for you.

        At least it was until you’d destroyed your holding cell.

        You suspected that your new-found power was part of the reason you had been taken away from the ship. It would make sense that Ren would want to keep you somewhere where the risk of you disabling a star cruiser was lower. You just didn’t know where that “somewhere” was.

        “We are nearly there.” Ren’s stepped up to you, his helmet removed. It allowed you to see the infinitesimal spark of worry in his eyes.

        “You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

        The tall man was sullen for a moment, but he did give you an answer. “Supreme Leader Snoke commands te First Order, and was the one who taught me the ways of the Force. He has demanded to see you, to assess your strength for himself.”

        You could do little but nod, unsure of what to make of this. “And what will he do with me?”

        “I don’t know. I do not pretend to know the will of the Supreme Leader.”

        It was strange to see a man as powerful as Kylo Ren speak of someone else with a tone of inferiority. Not long ago, that might have given you reason to be afraid. After all, what kind of a monster would make even Kylo Ren bow down to him?

        Now, though, with all that had happened to you, you somehow doubted that this Supreme Leader could be any worse than the man who lingered at the edge of your thoughts like a shadow. Though you assumed that you would soon find out.

        ---

        Watching you out of the corner of his eye, Kylo Ren made his way deeper into the fortress of the Supreme Leader, the familiar sensation of the Dark Side overtaking him. He was sure that you could feel it too, from the way your body went rigid when you got close to the massive structure.

        It was dark inside, just as he remembered it. There was hardly any ornamentation or much at all to even suggest life within the structure, save for the guards that stood watch. They bowed their head to Ren as he passed, but eyed you carefully.

        After all, it wasn’t often that anyone visited Snoke in person.

        “Snoke has power that even I do not understand,” Ren began, pausing his long strides to allow you to walk beside him. “It would be wise not to speak unless spoken to.” You nodded, but Kylo was surprised by the look of calm in your eyes. It was obvious that you felt discomfort with this much Dark energy, but you weren’t afraid.

        He wasn’t sure how long it would last, though, as the two of you neared the main atrium.

        ---

        It was Kylo Ren’s apprehensiveness that let you know you were close. His warning that you shouldn’t speak unless addressed first had been the first clue. The chill in the air had been another. Now, you walked towards what you assumed were the final set of doors and you found yourself wondering what lay on the other side.

        You waited as the pair of guards pushed the heavy slabs open, letting a gust of cold air break against you like a wave. It almost made you want to shiver.

        Kylo was walking forward, prompting you to follow, making your way towards the center of a large, empty room. Empty save for a singular throne in the center, and a slender, pale figure that sat atop it. The Supreme Leader, you assumed. As you came closer, more of his appearance came into view; he was far taller than you, reaching above you even while seated, his face was scarred and deformed unlike anything you had ever seen, and he had piercing eyes that analyzed your every move.

        He was  not at all like the Sith spirit in your mind, but he was intimidating in a way all his own.

        “You spoke truly, Kylo Ren.” His voice sounded ancient, and it wouldn't surprise you if it was. “The girl has great strength.” Kylo nodded, though even he didn’t speak. “And yet, there is something else. Something you carry.” You knew what he spoke of; the man whispering in your ear, who had been strangely silent since your awakening. “Your survival is impressive. Most would have gone mad, having such a presence within them for so long.”

        There was a long moment of silence, one in which Snoke seemed to be thinking. His malformed face was nearly blank, but even you could see the gears turning behind it, a quiet revelation that only he could know.

        It almost made you afraid. Almost.

        Of course you were wary of the man, you realized that only a fool wouldn’t be, but there was a surprising air of calm around you. You just didn’t exactly know why you were so impassive.

        “Leave us.” You blinked, realizing that the haggard figure was speaking to you. Quickly, you looked to your companion, who only seemed to reflect the order his master had given you.

        You did as was asked of you, no matter how much turning your back on the ghastly man concerned you. Almost as soon as you left the room, the doors closed behind you, and you were left alone with your thoughts - something you had grown very used to when it came to Kylo Ren.

        You weren’t sure how long you waited outside the chamber, only that the lack of movement made the cold air of the fortress seep into your bones. You wished you could hear what the two were saying, and you even tried to reach out with your newfound abilities - though without much effect. What good were these powers if you couldn’t control them?

        Eventually though, the heavy doors opened once more and Kylo Ren stepped out, his gaze set on you.

        “What is it?” you asked quietly, glancing over his shoulder only to catch a glimpse of the room behind him before the doors slammed shut.

        The tall man hid it well, but even still you’d never seen him so bewildered. “The Supreme Leader commands that I continue my search for the holocron data.” You had expected that much, but if his expression was anything to go on there was more. “He has also instructed that I train you in the ways of the Force.”

        That, you had not expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just letting everyone know - if they're interested - that I am adding a Darth Maul/Reader story to this series! It's long overdue, but I put up the first chapter last night! It will be following the same plot as the rest of works in this series, so if you're interested in the best Zabrak Sith of all time, give it a read!


	9. Trial and Error

        So much of your life had been lived in fear since Kylo Ren had taken you; fear for your life, fear of Kylo himself, fear of the man living inside your head . . . you’d been filled with so much fear, you thought you might live with it the rest of your life.

        Now though, you weren’t so sure.

        Since the Knight of Ren had started training you, you’d been mostly frustrated. You hated how easy he made it sound. _“Reach out through the Force. Sense my movements before I make them.”_ He’d say, swinging at you once again with the practice sword in his hand. Each hit he landed on you only added to your anger.

        The latest was a whack to your side, one that would no doubt form a bruise by tomorrow. Baring your teeth, you hissed and tightened your grip on your own weapon, almost certainly making your knuckles go white.

        “You’re angry.” Kylo observed. He was backing away with his guard seemingly down, a trick that you learned within the first few days of his training not to fall for.

        “What gave me away?” the question came out as more of a snarl than you intended, though it didn’t seem to make your teacher upset. In fact, you could see the shadow of a grin tugging at Kylo Ren’s full lips. When he realized that you wouldn't take the bait, Kylo lunged for you. You blocked, your practice blades locking together as he used all his strength to push his blade down on you. You knew that he was stronger than you - for now - and that if you stayed in this lock for much longer, he would win.

        With that in mind, you ducked and spun to the side, hoping that it would send him stumbling forward. He did lose his footing, but only for a moment before he was attacking again and soon enough, you had another welt on your thigh from a swing of his weapon.

        Letting of a swear, you backed off from Kylo as he chuckled. “You let your emotions betray your movements.” You suppressed a groan, in no mood for more of his unclear lessons.

        “You keep saying that I should ‘let my emotions fuel my attacks’. How am I supposed to do that if they give away everything I'm about to do?”

        Kylo almost smiled. “Become unpredictable.”

        You rolled your eyes as obviously as you could, earning another laugh from Ren.

        It was strange to hear him laugh, even though it was becoming a more common occurrence.

        “Such great wisdom, oh Master of the Knights of Ren.” You struck as you drawled, and Kylo deflected easily. “You're really-” you swung again, this time with more force, “-an amazing-” another attack and more aggression, “- _teacher!_ ”

        Kylo flung your weapon across the room in a fluid motion, and again you cursed.

        “You’re just not paying attention.”

        Slumping your shoulders, you extended your hand and pulled your practice weapon back to you, grateful that at least some of the training Kylo was giving you was simple for you to understand. You were about to ready yourself for another round when the door to the training room slid open and two Stormtroopers filed in. They were followed by a tall, red haired man, every aspect of his appearance prim and proper.

        General Hux, as Kylo had explained.

        He’d seldom spoken to you - or even regarded you, for that matter - since you had been released from the medical bay. You weren’t sure how to feel about him, but from the look Kylo wore almost every time the two were in the same room, the Knight of Ren and the General did not get along.

        “Ren, the Supreme Leader demands an update.” It was unspoken that you would be at least part of that update, and that thought was at least a bit worrisome. There had been no further incidents after you destroyed the room with the holocron. In fact, the man inside your head had been very silent.

        That, to you, was more worrying than anything.

        Kylo sighed, his brown eyes moving from you to Hux before speaking to you. “We’ll continue this tomorrow.”

        You nodded, part of you glad that there would be no more of him mocking you for the day. And no more bruises.

        Kylo turned and you watched him leave, expecting Hux to follow him but the General stayed in place. He was studying you, and it was enough to make you feel cornered. At least, until he spoke. “Ren can never be beaten directly, you know. What he lacks in strategy, he makes up for in sheer force.” He gestured to the bruises covering your arms. “Distract him. Agitate him, and he will slip up.”

        Then the General was leaving, his Stormtrooper guard following behind. Somehow, you got the impression that he only gave you the advice because it would make Kylo’s life more difficult.

        -----

        By the time the next day came, you had a plan in mind. You knew that Hux had been right; you weren’t going to beat Kylo in an offensive game. He had been training his entire life, a luxury you couldn’t afford. So you would have to fight smart.

        You were circling each other, practice blades in hand. You might have made jokes at him other days, but today a sense of laser focus had overtaken you.

        When Kylo lunged at you, your defense was quick enough to stop him from hitting you. You'd learned not to let one good move make you too confident, as Kylo always had something else up his sleeve. Today was no exception, and your young instructor was quick to attack again, just as relentlessly as he had the first time. He seemed to have planned to up the intensity today, his attacks packed a bit more force, and his eyes were set in a hard stare.

        He was not happy, that much you could tell. But he was also not focused on you.

        A strategy came into your mind then, perhaps not the most wise of ideas you’ve had, but then maybe that was what made it worth trying. “You seem upset.” You spoke as you narrowly batted away one of Kylo’s strikes.

        Kylo’s eyes were already locked on yours, and you could see a flash of anger go through them. “And you seem oddly calm.”

        It was a verbal duel, and he’d just tried to disengage. You, on the other hand, were intent on pressing the attack. “I take it your meeting with the Supreme Leader didn’t go well?”

        A grimace overtook Kylo’s face, and his next attack was more brazen, more reckless. He was becoming distracted, but still you didn’t press for an offensive. “He is disappointed with the progress made in your training.”

        Your sparring match seemed to have been forgotten, like Kylo was trying to push you to accommodate the wish of his master.

        Fortunately his determination to push you left him less aware about his own being. He was becoming more reckless with each swing. You could hardly explain how you knew to do what you did, but you could remember seeing an opening, an attack that left Kylo’s side undefended.

        It was the chance you had been waiting for, and you acted on the opportunity.

        You ducked under Kylo’s attack, spinning to the side and slashing as you went with a grace you didn’t know you possessed. Like something guided you through the space. Before  Kylo could recover, you were extending your arm out for a blow that would slash at his side, were you holding a real weapon.

        You felt his blade hit your leg as you stood, and by the time you straightened, your own blade was at his throat while his was held point first at your side, ready to slice between your ribs. Were it a real weapon, of course.

        You couldn’t help but smile, that laser focus gone. It may have been a stalemate, but that was better than you had done all this time. “I’ll try not to disappoint, then.” You said, laughing.

        To your surprise, Kylo smiled too, his anger disappearing. “You haven’t disappointed me. Not ever.”

        Your grin widened at the praise, your previous frustration gone at the sign of progress. You lowered your blade and Kylo lowered his, but your eyes remained locked. His eyes were surprisingly warm, more so than they had been ever before.

        “Ready for another round?” he asked, his full lips curving into a grin again.

        You smirked and backed away. “Always.”


	10. A Matter of Trust

        Taking a deep breath, you strengthened your resolve as much as you could before sitting down across from Kylo, your legs crossed in front of you. Kylo had not delved into your mind since the day you discovered your abilities; “letting you build your strength up” as he had put it. You hadn’t complained, the experience had always been an uncomfortable one at best, and painful or terrifying at the worst. You would much rather be training with the Force or in combat, practicing with the double-bladed staff you'd come to favor. At least you had control over that.

        Today, you weren’t sure what to think, with the armored man in your dreams remaining absent even now. You wanted to think that maybe he had simply been a fragment of something that would fade with time and that he was now gone forever.

        Of course you knew that was some very wishful thinking on your part.

        You tried to shrug the thoughts of him away, focusing instead on the young man across from you. Kylo was, surprisingly, seeming to do the same. He almost looked afraid.

        “Are you ready?” he asked, the question that part of you had been dreading. He had been teaching you his own methods for delving into a person’s thoughts, building up your mental strength in preparation for this. You should have been ready, you supposed, but you weren’t.

        He caught on to your hesitation. “You don’t need to be afraid.”

        “Somehow I doubt that.” It was more snappy than you would have liked, but you supposed it got the point across.

        Kylo gave you an annoyed look, and you expected he would. It helped to alleviate the tension, if nothing else. “(Y/N), you knew this would happen eventually,” he took a moment to think before speaking again. “Do you trust me?”

        The question took you by surprise.

        You hadn’t really thought about trust yet - there’d been no time for it, what with the training you’d been going through. And why would you trust him? This man who had taken you from your own home, who had peered into your mind and forced you to uncover a power you never knew you had . . .

        But all the same, he had been kind to you in his own way. His training was brutal but the two of you had found humor to share all the same. He had promised to keep you as safe as he could, under the circumstances.

        You’d heard him call out to try and stop the Stormtroopers before they fired at you.

        So, strangely, you found yourself answering Kylo with a quiet nod. You did trust him, though you weren’t sure why. But then, it wasn’t him that you were afraid of here. “I do, but . . .”

        “(Y/N),” the intensity of his gaze froze you in place, “I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

        You studied him for a moment, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not. In the months since Kylo had brought you aboard the ship, you’d come to be able to read him well. You knew when he was about to strike at you during training or when he would joke or if he was under stress.

        You knew that his word was true now, that whatever was about to happen, Kylo would be at your side.

        Slowly but with certainty, you nodded. “I’ll hold you to that, Ren.”

        He seemed relieved, but only for a moment. Soon enough, his own apprehension was back, but it didn’t stop him from reaching towards you as he had on the very first day you met him. There was warning this time and the feeling was less foreign or invasive, but still you felt your own mind rushing in confusion. Like some alarm had been triggered. You shivered, a spasm shooting through your arm and clenching your hand into a fist. Kylo saw the movement, his eyes widening briefly as he opened his mouth to say something. Gritting your teeth you straightened your shoulders, taking deep breaths to calm yourself as memories you’d long forgotten resurfaced.

        You saw yourself earning scrapes and bruises as a child, running through the streets of your home city. A thousand faces you’d known flashed by, some you remembered and some you could only place as people in the background of your life. You remembered the scraps you’d survived off of and the skills you’d learned.

        Thoughts became more and more static, and you squeezed your eyes shut against the pain that came with it.

        Then, amidst the blur of familiar images, you saw something you’d glimpsed only once before - an image, a memory, that didn’t belong to you. The woman was undoubtedly the same one you had seen all those months ago, her kind brown eyes gazing down at you in love and worry.

        A world you had never seen before came to your mind, a lush planet with massive ruins. Cloaked figures wandered the structures, and a sense of peace washed over you.

        Then you saw flames.

        It was night, wherever you were, and off in the distance there was a building on fire. There were flashes of other images as you seemed to move closer to the burning structure; young, eager faces and lightsaber blades of blue and green.

        One man, older than the rest, was a constant in most of the memories. His hair was beginning to show grey and his eyes were wise but tired. A lightsaber hilt hung at his belt. _“These are advanced techniques Ben, but I’m sure you’ll be up to the challenge.”_ He spoke, addressing you. But these were not _your_ memories so . . . was he speaking to Kylo?

_“Listen to Luke,”_ a woman’s voice said, sounding sad.

        “ . . . stop it . . .”

        Another voice joined in, this one gruff. _“Don’t cause any problems, kid.”_

        Arms circled you in a tight embrace as the woman with kind eyes hugged you. The gruff man joined after a moment. You barely had time to process the event when a face you did recognize appeared before you; Supreme Leader Snoke was just as scarred and deformed as he had been that day you met him in person, leaning back in his throne like though himself some sort of god.

_“I have done everything you’ve asked,”_ it was Kylo’s voice, though not as you’d come to know him. He sounded younger and more frustrated . . . he sounded afraid.

        Snoke’s yellowed teeth were exposed as he sneered. _“You have purged some of the disease but not it’s source. Skywalker survived and with him, the teachings of the Jedi.”_ You could feel how angry Kylo was, a fiery determination replacing some of the hopelessness that had been there before. _“Until we find him, the light may yet corrupt you.”_

        “Stop,”

_“Then I will find him. I swear to you.”_

        “ _Stop!_ ” you finally heard the cry, and the memory you were lost in snapped away. Breathing heavily, you looked around, finding the same grey walls you’d grown used to, and Kylo Ren looking mortified in front of you.

        Your mind was still numb from the experience, but you could remember the visions you’d just experienced. Kylo Ren had once been a Jedi. He’d killed those he trained with.

        His real name was Ben.

        “I . . .” you were at a loss, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

        Kylo silenced you with a glare, and then he was standing up and turning towards the door. You were on your feet just as quickly, not really sure of what you were going to say but certain that you were going to make something of a scene.

        “So it’s alright for you to tear through my mind and see every detail of my life, but the moment I get a glimpse of yours, you can’t handle it?”

        You certainly prompted a reaction, if nothing else. Kylo was whirling around and storming towards you in an instant. You thought he might justify himself, or argue with you or worse, even. It was easy to see that he wanted to do something; you could feel his anger, even, but he instead slumped down against the metal wall behind him, blinking several times.

        Unsure of what to do, you watched him in silence. You had never seen him like this. Angry, perhaps, but never upset in this way.

        His eyes were almost sad, though you were almost hesitant to correlate that emotion with him. Especially after what you'd just seen. He was a boy with a family, yes, and a man who had killed his peers to serve Snoke.

        “This is a test.” He finally said, some of his resolve returning as he made the realization. “Snoke ordered me to train you to test me.” He looked up at you again, like he was seeking confirmation of his thoughts.

        You wished that you had an answer for him. Snoke was indeed a manipulating being, but you weren't sure what exactly this “test” was meant to be. Unless . . .

_“The light may yet corrupt you.”_

        Things became clear to you as you remembered the vision. Kylo had betrayed his former creed for Snoke, and the Supreme Leader doubted his devotion still. Snoke wanted to see how far Kylo would go to find the information in your head.

        “Maybe he is,” you said, taking light steps toward him. You found your lips parting, wanting to ask why; why had he destroyed the Jedi? Why did he want to hunt them all to the ends of the galaxy?

_Why serve someone as weak as Snoke?_

        The question was at the forefront of your mind, and it brought as much curiosity as it did anger. If Snoke was truly as powerful as he pretended to be, why had _he_ not fought this Skywalker himself? Why manipulate a boy to do it for him?

        You came so close to asking him, but you stopped yourself just short of it. Instead, you chose a different question. “You think the information I have could lead you to Skywalker, don't you?”

        It took a moment for him to nod, confirming your suspicions. “The Supreme Leader believed that knowledge of ancient Jedi worlds would point to him.”

        “And then I got to it first.”

        “Yes.”

        Your expression shifted, one side of your mouth pulling into what was almost a smile. You'd gotten in the way of Snoke’s plan, of Kylo proving his loyalty. Given what you'd just learned about the Knight of Ren, you had yet another realization; you would've thought to have been dead by now. This was a lot of trouble to go through for a chance at finding one man.

        “Why didn't you kill me?” It was not a question you exactly wanted to ask, but it was an important one. “I don’t think Snoke would have objected, and if you aren’t positive that this information will give you what you want, why did you let me live?”

        He hadn’t expected the question, that much was obvious. It was also obvious that he wasn’t exactly sure what answer to give you.

        “I could never kill you.” He finally admitted.

        You were unsure of what to say. Kylo was no saint, that was for certain. He’d wiped out his own comrades. The first time you’d ever seen him, he cut down a man before your eyes without flinching, and yet here he was, saying that he wouldn’t be able to do the same with you.

_Why?_

        But you knew why, somehow. You knew that you had grown to care for him over the months, despite everything. It was a little more than a whisper in the back of your mind, one you hadn’t acknowledged but for moments at a time. Now, being so close to him, seeing him so vulnerable and open - as open as he had ever been with you - you could tell that you were not alone in your feelings.

        He would not harm you because he cared for you.

        It was a dangerous thing to admit, and both of you knew it. Snoke would not take Kylo’s feelings into account if they got in the way of tracking Skywalker.

        You had grown used to doing what you had to do to survive growing up on Onderon. The streets had taught you many things, but most of its lessons had been learned alone. Few had Every other orphan on the streets had their own problems to deal with, and you’d seldom relied on them for aid. It had left you alone, but you had survived. You supposed that both you and Kylo had that in common.

        Now, after so much time spent alone, both of you had someone else to rely on.

        “Kylo,” you chose not to use the name you’d heard in the vision, “we’ll get through this. Together. I promise.” You weren’t sure how reassuring your words would be, or if they would be welcome at all. All the same, it was true.

        So, when Kylo looked at you again and he nodded, eyes full of sincerity, you knew that he was with you, through whatever may come. “Together.” He said, and you were sure that the word was as strange for him to say as it was for you to hear.

        -----

        He watched the two, smiling a bit. So much power, almost infinite potential. The pieces were falling into place now, the goal he’d fought for for so long was almost within reach. So close . . .

        The years had made him patient; he could wait just a bit longer.


	11. Into the Fray

        Having grown up on Onderon, you were used to warm days and humid air. Even  with how cold the nights could get, nothing on your homeworld could have prepared you for the planet you stepped onto now. The furs and tactical gear Kylo had  given you did something to keep out the cold, but your teeth still started to chatter and your breath felt like it might freeze in your throat as soon as the shuttle doors opened.

        You were glad to be off the flagship and have your feet on the ground again, but you wished that it was a different climate. Belsavis was, from what Kylo had told you, an odd and ancient world. While most of the planet was frigid and covered in ice, there were pockets of volcanic activity that had sprouted small tropical zones. The fact that there were other places on the planet that were warm was just adding insult to injury, but you understood why the First Order decided to put their listening base here. When you’re hiding something of value, it helps if you put it somewhere someone wouldn’t want to ever look.

        You just couldn’t help but wish that it was somewhere a little less freezing. Even so, the snow was . . . almost beautiful.

        “Commander Ren,” the First Order officer who greeted you was wearing a heavy cloak and snow gear, but his face was exposed to the cold. He regarded Kylo with a look close to fear. You earned an expression more of curiosity. “It is an honor sir. General Hux informed us of your arrival.”

        Ah, yes, the esteemed General himself. Despite his helpful insight on your training, you weren’t particularly fond of the General currently, with him being the reason you were currently standing almost knee-deep in snow. _“If you’re going to keep her on my ship, she will have to contribute,”_ as he had put it. You understood that sentiment too, despite not enjoying where it had brought you.

        Kylo hadn’t seemed to enjoy the idea at all. The two had argued for some time, with the Knight of Ren saying that you needed more time to train before you had interjected, much to the surprise of both. _“If you need me to earn my keep, I will.”_

        Hux, with an all-too-smug look, had assigned you to inspect the listening base on Belsavis. It was really more of an excuse to show you the inner workings of the First Order - and perhaps to get you off the ship for a while - but it seemed to Kylo’s liking enough for you to be sent planetside.

        Kylo’s voice, coming out modulated thanks to his mask, brought your attention back to the present. “Very good Captain. We will not be here long.”

        Once again the Captain gave you a curious look before nodding and beginning to lead you into the base. You supposed that it was strange for a civilian to be anywhere near a military listening post. Then again, you were equally curious about how things operated inside the base. It would certainly be a learning experience for everyone.

        -----

        Your first day at the listening post was uneventful. The few officers there had shown you their daily routines and allowed you in one of the storage tunnels beneath the base, as well as how to operate several of the scanners and even one of the few defense turrets outside. The crew that manned the station was polite enough, though any conversations you had outside of them instructing you were usually brief. They were all understandably nervous around Kylo, often stiffening when he walked past. Part of you wanted to tell them that you cracked jokes back and forth with the Knight of Ren, but decided against it.

        You were surprised by how many of them had been military for practically their whole lives. Some had family that had served with the Empire, others had once been mercenaries or militia members before joining the First Order.

        By the second day, you figured you might as well take some initiative and woke up early to check the scanners. There was nothing _to_ be scanned, and with only the night crew awake at the time you took the opportunity to wander the listening post unchecked.

        You did find yourself becoming distracted when you looked out a viewport though. Snow, you found, was much more beautiful when viewed through a window where it was warm. As the sun rose, you couldn’t help but admire the way the snow looked sparkling in the light. The storm you’d arrived in had finally died down - albeit temporarily, judging on the clouds looming in the distance - leaving pristine stillness behind.

        With the storm gone, you could also see more of the landscape itself. It didn’t stretch on in an endless, snowy wasteland as you thought it would, but instead you found many dark cliffs rising above the snow. It couldn’t hold a candle to the nebula you’d seen in space that set the sky on fire, but it was still its own brand of breathtaking.

        You wondered how many planets you would come to see as you stayed by Kylo’s side.

        “I didn’t think you’d be up so early,” Kylo walked up beside you, his own gaze focused on the horizon stretched out before the two of you.

        You gave him a look of false injury. “So little faith in me,” you smiled. “I used to wake up early all the time back home. If you’re the first person to set up shop, you get the first customers.” Perhaps it was being on a new planet that brought up so many memories of your old home, or maybe it was just you having too much time to yourself to think. Either way, selling junk on the streets of Onderon seemed like a lifetime ago.

It was a little surprising that you didn’t really miss it. Despite the fact that you were being all but dragged into the military, you felt no need to return to your home.

        But then, you supposed that you had a new home now.

        “I’ve never seen snow before,” you admitted, catching Kylo off guard.

        You weren’t sure what possessed you to tell him that particular piece of information. Either way, you saw the look he gave you out of the corner of your eye. He must have grown up traversing the galaxy, but you had only known one place until recently. You knew it was likely a strange concept to him; finding something new in the galaxy.

        He looked like he was about to say something, but the voice of the officer who greeted you on your arrival interrupted him. “My Lord Ren,” he looked extremely reluctant to say whatever he was about to say, “we may have a problem.” From the foreboding tone the officer had used, you wouldn’t have been surprised if the whole base was about to be attacked by a fleet of starships. Both you and Kylo had rushed to the communications hub, expecting to find every sensor in the base flashing in warning.

        You were understandably confused when you got there and saw nothing arry.

        “It’s one of our long range scanners, sir.” the captain explained on seeing how perplexed the two of you were.

        It only served to confuse you more. “But I just checked them; not even an hour ago! Nothing was on the scanner!”

        “Exactly. Belsavis is inhabited by a number of animal species, ones that we usually pick up on our scanners. There has been no activity for some time.” Kylo moved closer to the screen, leaning in to get a better look. “We might have thought animals to be the culprit if this was the case with just one of our scanners . . .”

        “But they’re all down.” Kylo finished for him, his gaze narrowing. “You have speeders?” It was more of a statement than a question, to which the captain nodded. “Ready one of them. (Y/N), stay here and keep in contact. I will be back soon.”

        “I . . .” you wanted to protest, to offer to go out with him and watch his back. A combination of the officers around you and the look Kylo was giving you held your words back. “I'll keep a lookout here.”

        You couldn't explain the feeling growing in the pit of your stomach. All you knew was that something felt _off_.

        “I'll be back soon.”

        He turned, the officer falling into step behind him.

        -----

        Waiting for Kylo’s signal felt like an eternity. It seemed to bring the quiet of the base to the forefront, turning it into an oppressive silence. The soldiers were uneasy but didn’t speak to you, each working at their stations. Unsure of what to do to help, you decided it was best to simply stay out of their way and keep an ear open for Kylo to report back.

        No matter how you tried to rationalize the situation, you could not stop thinking that something was going to go horribly wrong. Like there was someone lurking just behind you with a knife meant to slash at your throat.

        When static sounded over the comm channel, the attention of everyone in the room was drawn to the sound. You could just barely hear Kylo’s voice over the crackling interference, unsure of what he was saying. The station’s captain came up behind you, trying to make out what he was saying just as you were,

        “We can’t hear you, there’s interference,” you said, trying to keep calm.

        The static began to break up and alongside Kylo’s voice you could hear the hum of his lightsaber. “The Resistance is here.” The anger and strain with which he spoke let you know that he had already found them, or the other way around.

        Some of the communication officers exchanged glances, surprise evident in their eyes. “My Lord Ren, we will send our troops out at once to aid you.” The captain was quick to speak, and you marveled at how calm and collected he sounded. Your own head was a blur of thoughts.

        “I’m going too,” you declared, seeing no signs that the captain would argue with you.

        Instead, it was Kylo that protested. Or rather vehemently ordered you otherwise. “ _No._ Stay at the base, someone needs to keep watch there.” Dejected, you gaped for a moment. Feeling unable to do anything else with the First Order Captain watching you, you let your silence act as an affirmation. “Captain, ready your men.” Kylo ordered, and in no time the room was in motion as troops gathered their equipment.

        While everyone else readied themselves, you turned your attention to the comm link. You wanted to tell Kylo that you could help, that he had trained you for this. You were weighing doing just that when the footfalls drew your attention.

        The captain was standing before you, and for the first time you saw a hint of worry on his face. “I am leaving two men here with you. Keep in contact with me and Commander Ren, and alert us of any activity near the base. If we get the sensors back online, my men will help you coordinate our movements.” He didn’t say as much, but you could tell that he felt sorry for you, or something close to it.

        You weren’t sure if it was the Force offering you insight into his thoughts or just your own imagination, but you could almost hear him thinking of how young you were, how unprepared for war.

        Maybe it was true, but you were well beyond accepting pity from others or feeling it for yourself. “Take care of yourself out there,” you said, offering words of concern despite the resolve in your voice. Swallowing the dread you were feeling, you forced yourself to focus. You may not have been in the field with Kylo, where you wanted to be, but you would do everything you could to make sure the base was protected.

        The captain seemed to register your expression, giving you a nod of approval. “We will.”

        Soldiers in combat armor filed into the room and after a moment’s worth of orders, they were following the captain out of the room. With renewed confidence, you made your way over to the remaining officers, who both straighten up as you approached. Bren and Jorhun were their names. Both were doing a bad job of hiding their worried expressions, but there was determination there too. You were taken aback by how young they were. How much of life had they seen before they joined the First Order?

        Then again, you supposed the same could be said of you.

        With the sensors still down and nothing but base communications to monitor for the moment, you were feeling a bit useless. Your mind began to wander, thinking of what Kylo might be facing outside. You wondered what you would do if the Resistance reached the listening post, you . . .

        There was an almost _tugging_ sensation at the back of your mind. Whispers drawing your attention away from the comm room. They were too quiet to make intelligible words, but you understood them all the same.

        “Check the interior cameras.” The two young officers exchanged confused glances bit did as you asked. Images of different rooms in the base flashed across the screen, each room free of movement. You were beginning to think that your concern was ill-founded, until the monitor went black once you reached one of the tunnel storage rooms. The image was grainy and unfocused, but it was easy enough to make out the figure of a person moving through the space.

        A strained silence took the room. The three of you knew exactly what that meant; the Resistance was already inside the base.

        -----

        Snow was beginning to fall harder around Kylo, the white flakes taking on a red color as they drifted near his lightsaber. A storm was getting closer, one the Resistance had no doubt been waiting for. There had been two attack groups waiting out in the snow, the guerillas that the Resistance relied so heavily upon.

        They had been dealt with, but Kylo didn’t doubt that there were more out there.

        “Commander Ren,” the captain had to yell over the wind that was building up, “I’m receiving a transmission from the listening post.”

        “Kylo,” the moment he heard you speak, he stiffened.

        “What is it?” he asked. If your worried tone was any indication, something was wrong.

        “The Resistance is here. They’ve been tunneling under the base, trying to get in through the storage tunnels.”

        “That’s impossible!” the captain was quick to interject. “The old prison beneath collapsed centuries ago, there’s no way they could have found their way in!”

        Kylo’s mind was rushing. The attacks out on the tundra were a diversion, trying to pull attention away from the listening post. He had left you in the base because he thought it would be safe there, and the Resistance had found a way in anyway. “We’re headed back now,” his words were directed at you but remained an unspoken order to his men.

        No sooner did he give the word then a streak of hot red ripped through one of the Stormtroopers beside him. The soldier went sprawling to the snow, and soon red blaster bolts filled the air, fired by both the Resistance and Kylo’s men.

        None of the shots got close enough to Kylo to do any harm, warded away by his lightsaber. His thoughts weren’t on his own safety, though.

        “Take them out, men! Then we head back to the base!” The captain barked the orders, though Kylo barely heard them. He had already began to charge through the flurry, red lightsaber ablaze. The first soldier was in the middle of giving his own orders when Kylo slashed through him, his expression hidden behind the mask he wore.

        Waiting just beyond the fallen Resistance soldier were dozens more, by Kylo’s count. Each wore white combat gear and fading into the thickening blizzard.

        Still, storm or no storm, rebels or no rebels, Kylo had every intention of getting back to you. He ignored the bad feeling in his gut and pressed on, his sights set on the nearest soldier. He _would_ get back to you, or die trying.

        -----

        There was a hammering in your ears and chest, loud enough to give you the irrational fear that someone might hear your heartbeat. Bren moved silently beside you, his lips pursed into a thin line as he tried to maintain his calm. You had told Jorhun to stay in the command center and guard it while the two of you searched for the intruder.

        No one was in the supply room when the two of you reached it. Whoever had been inside was long gone, but they had left something in their place.

        “A signal jammer,” Bren pointed out, disarming the device as quickly as he could. “We’re lucky we caught him on the cameras when we did.” His tone was low but laced with gratitude, which you appreciated.

       “Which means whatever they’re doing, it isn’t in here.”

        Nodding, the young soldier stood, starting to search the room for entry points that the Resistance could have used. The walls were clear, as were the floor and ceiling. It might have seemed like the man vanished into thin air, were it not for the flicker of light you spotted coming from the ventilation grate.

        You exchanged a look with the Bren, a silent question of whether he had seen it too. He nodded, his expression somehow becoming more serious than before.

        It didn’t take much for you to pull the grate off of the vent shaft, letting you get a better look inside. At least, in theory. The dim light of the storage room only carried so far down the vent, giving way to darkness just a few meters away. There was no sign of the light from just moments ago. It would be cramped, but the opening was large enough for a person to fit through.

        “I’ll go,” you said to the soldier, your voice just above a whisper.

        Bren was quick to shake his head, his hand going to the blaster at his hip. “It would be better if I go first. Commander Ren ordered us to protect you.”

        The admission broke through your concentration. You weren’t as surprised as you perhaps should have been by the news, but by now you knew that Kylo was not going to let any harm come to you. You yourself had told him that you trusted him. He meant to protect you, to keep you from harm.

        Now, it was your turn to return the favor.

        If the listening post was destroyed, it would be over for all of you. “If you insist. I’ll have your back.” You knew that Bren had wanted you to stay behind, but the look you gave him ended any protests he might have had. If anything, he looked almost relieved that you were coming with him.

        He nodded to you, looking resolute before he turned towards the open ventilation shaft and crawling inside.

        You were surprised - and thankful - at how quiet he managed to be while army-crawling through such an enclosed space. As soon as you were able you crouched down and squeezed into the vent, head-first. The passage widened a bit once you were past the initial entrance, making it a bit easier to move. The two of you progressed, making as little noise as possible, your eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. Just as your muscles were starting to feel sore from the effort, Bren stopped in front of you.

        Not wanting to give your position away, you elected not to ask why but instead watched as he curled himself up with no small amount of effort. He then swung his feet to be in front of him and in the near pitch-black of the vent you could just barely make out him looking back at you.

        He pointed to something in front of him, and then suddenly he was sliding away from you and out of the vent. You thought for a moment that the vent curved down on its own, until you felt a sharp pain as your hand caught on something jagged.

        You pulled away quickly, more surprised than actually injured. The metal of the vent had been cut somehow, making an opening into a space below. As you looked down, you found a pale, dim light illuminating a carved passageway. A cable hung from the top of the vent, reaching down into the cavern beneath you. Bren looked up at you from below, his form almost blending into the shadows too much for you to be able to see him. He waved at you to follow.

        Turning yourself around was easier for you than it was for Bren, though you envied his officer gloves as you used the cable to slide down to his level. The material burned your hands, but the pain was nothing against the adrenaline that began pulsing through your veins.

        Wherever you were, it was ancient, that much you could tell. The walls were cracked and worn down but you could still make out symbols etched into the stone. At your feet, the worn remains of a carving brought a strange sense of deja vu, one that was gone as quickly as it came. To one side of you, the tunnel seemed to stretch on forever into darkness. On the other, it took a sharp turn to the side, the light coming from whatever lay beyond.

        Your steps as silent as you could manage, you and Bren began making your way towards the source of the light. There was no doubt in your mind that you would find Resistance fighters there. How many there would be and what you would do when you found them were the unknowns.

        Getting closer to the light, you noticed more details of your surroundings. The carvings on the walls and floors became clearer, and you noticed obelisks standing up out of the ground. Part of you wanted to take the time to examine them, to uncover what mysteries you could before moving on, but the sound of voices around the corner drew your attention instead. Moving with as much stealth as you could manage, you peered around the corner.

        There were three of them. They were far enough away that you couldn’t see many details, save for the green skin of one and the mismatched uniforms. They were focused on something, circled around a blinking red light.

        Matching red lights hung suspended around the room, a more careful inspection revealing that whatever devices produced the lights were attached to several stone columns. You didn’t need to have a military history or expert knowledge in weapons to know what those devices were.

_“Bombs,”_ you whispered, so quietly it was more of a breath than an actual word. Still, Bren seemed to hear you, or at least had come to the same conclusion.

        His voice wavered a bit as he spoke. “We need to-” he stopped mid-sentence, his breath hitching. Your lips parted to ask him what was wrong, only to turn and see the barrel of a blaster pressed against his head.

        “Bad move,” a voice snarled from behind you. Turning further, you caught sight of a woman standing over you, dirt smudging her cheeks. You barely had time to make eye contact before she pulled out another blaster, pressing it into the back of your skull.


	12. Trial by Fire

You surprised yourself with your stillness, the feeling of your potential death resting at the base of your skull keeping your muscles frozen. Next to you, Bren was equally still but you could feel his thoughts wavering through the Force. “Are there more of you?” the woman asked, her voice harsh. Her voice grated against your ears. Or maybe it was the fact that she could kill you in an instant if she wanted to that made her sound so intimidating.

_I should have noticed her coming, I should have-_

The lack of an answer made the woman press her gun into your head harder. “I said, are any of your friends going to come down here looking for you?”

Slowly, you shook your head. Jorhun was still up in the com room, and you sorely hoped that he would stay there. You doubted that he would be of much help to the two of you now. Although he would be no safer in the listening post if you didn’t find a way to destroy the bombs being planted.

“Get up.” The woman ordered. In no position to argue, you complied. As you looked forward, you saw the eyes of the other Resistance soldiers on you and Bren. The looks that some of them gave you were full of loathing, like you and Bren were what was wrong with the galaxy. It wasn’t a completely unfamiliar feeling, but jaring nonetheless.

“First Order?” An older man asked as he made his way over to you, the one with green skin. His face was an artwork of small diamond tattoos and scars, his eyes the only ones among the batch that weren’t focused on you with hatred.

You didn’t see the woman behind you nod, but you assumed that she did. “They found our access point through the vents. More could come through.” Her words were punctuated with a press of her gun into your head.

There was a grimness to the green man as he nodded, looking almost apologetic. “Keep them restrained and take their coms.” You wondered if his order was simply a placeholder for execution later. Apologetic or no, this man viewed you and Bren as the enemy. How long would he keep you alive?

You were led over to a wall and you knew that it was no coincidence that they put you and Bren as far away from their equipment as possible. The woman who had surprised you moved to guard you now, switching from blaster pistols to a rifle.

“How are those charges doing?” the alien asked the other resistance members working on the pillars.

One, a gaunt man with sallow skin, straightened up from his work to answer. “Almost done. We have a few more to go, but-”

“We likely don’t have much time. Get as much done as you can. You have three minutes.” The tattooed alien ordered, not hiding the grimness in his voice. The gaunt man sprung into action, returning to his group and moving much faster than he had before.

_Three minutes._ You had three minutes until they were done setting the charges. Three minutes until the listening post was swallowed into the prison tunnels.

Three minutes for you and Bren to act.

The pillars and work equipment set up could provide cover if you needed it. Your hands were free, which was a blessing. All you needed was something for you and Bren to defend yourselves with.

Your eyes were frantic as you scanned the room for something, _anything_ , that you could use. There was the blaster strapped to the tattooed alien’s hip, as well as ones that lay unguarded at the sides of the explosives workers. The only problem was the woman standing near you, ready to burn a hole into your brain with her blaster rifle.

She studied you now, seeming to understand that you were looking for a way out. The expression she wore was almost an invitation to try. _So I can end you when you get caught_ , you knew those were the unspoken words behind the look.

You couldn’t reach for a weapon, you would undoubtedly be caught.

At least, not in the usual way one might reach for a weapon.

You glanced to Bren, struggling to keep your expression neutral. It took several seconds for him to break out of his worried trance and notice you but when he did he seemed to register your expression quickly. Not wanting to risk anything more obvious, you let your eyes flit to the blasters your guard had set down. Let Bren know what you were planning.

Something flashed across his eyes. Confirmation. Affirmation. He knew what you planned, and he agreed to it.

You turned your gaze back to the ground, feeling the Resistance woman’s eyes burning into your head. You wouldn’t need to look at the blasters to reach them, anyway.

You kept your eyes open but fixed on the carved floor beneath you. All the while, you were reaching towards the blasters through the Force, calling the weapons to you. You kept them low, trying to move them so that no one would notice the pair of blasters floating through the air. If anyone did notice anything, they didn’t voice it so you continued.

Only stopping when you realised how difficult it would be to get the weapons past the woman guarding you. You looked, out of the corner of your eye, up at her and the rifle she held.

If she saw the blasters you would be dead.

_Less than three minutes_.

_Do something._

_Now._

You weren’t sure exactly when, in the last few moments, that you had moved one of the blasters towards the woman, leaving it suspended in the air. What you were sure of, was the fact that you became acutely aware of trigger tension of the weapon, and its barrel directed right at the woman’s back.

_Her life for yours,_ some part of you thought, _it’s the only way out of all of this._ The idea didn’t seem like your own, and yet you could think of nothing else. No other way. If _she_ didn’t die, you and Bren surely would.

Her voice cutting through the silence, full of alarm, was enough to make you realise that you had been thinking about it for too long. “What the hell-”

You saw her eyes travel to the blaster that you controlled, widening as she processed what she was seeing. The hesitation you had shown only moments ago was gone, replaced with instinct and nothing else. You squeezed the trigger through the Force.

Then the ancient tunnel exploded into action.

The woman fell, the blaster bolt that killed her striking the wall behind you. Bren was on his feet in an instant, moving before the Resistance crew could turn around to see what had happened. You were moving too, calling the blasters to your side just as the Resistance turned their own weapons on you. All you could think to do was raise the blaster and fire, regretting it as soon as you saw the guns trained on you.

Something barreled into your side, forcing you down and behind a supply crate just as the Resistance fired. The shots meant for you hit the wall just as you hit the ground. Disoriented, you looked around to realise that it had been Bren that pushed you out of the way.

You tried to speak, to tell him “thanks” but found yourself unable to. He was moving too quickly for you to catch his attention anyway, springing up over the crate to fire off a few shots with his new blaster.

Following suit, you felt your mind almost go blank as you stood, pointing your blaster at the first movement you caught. Your shot missed, the Resistance fighter you aimed for disappearing behind a pillar.

“Get out of here!” you heard a man scream - the green alien with the tattoos.

Red blaster bolts sparked from behind the pillars, forcing you to duck down. As you pressed your back against the supply crate, you heard frantic footfalls from the other side of the room. They were making a break for it.

Again you stood, though this time your focus was not on aiming the blaster to strike true. Instead, you sent a wave tearing through the room, its power enough to knock the soldiers off their feet.

Bren, despite the shocked look on his face, leapt up from his cover. He fired off a few shots with his blaster. You weren’t sure if any of them hit their mark, your focus going instead to the explosives stuck to the pillars. You didn’t know exactly how to disarm the explosives, or if Bren knew either.  You weren’t sure it was even possible, but you knew that you may very well die if you didn’t.

“Cover me,” he yelled, not leaving enough time for you to reply before he hurled himself forward.

You fired more shots, the first few random. None of them hit but they let Bren make it to the pillars. The next few, you took more direct aim.

The green skinned man had just moved to fire at you when you squeezed the trigger, the blaster bolt finding his chest. The rebels - the two that remained - called out to him as he fell. They rushed to his side, only to catch two shots from Bren that sent them sprawling to the stone.

With the quiet that now fell on the room, you rushed to Bren, not daring to look over at the men and women you had just killed. The young soldier looked shell-shocked, but his focus was on one of the bombs attached to the pillars. He had pulled a mess of wires down, ripping them out. The charge's light flickered and then went out.

“Take out the wires,” he advised, though you were already doing just that on another of the charges. Your hands, one already gashed from the jagged cut in the vent, hurt as electricity snapped at them. Still, it was a moment's pain and one you could endure.

Something in the back of your mind stirred as you tore the wires from the bomb. Movement caught your eye not a second later.

You turned just in time to see the green skinned man - bleeding and weak, but alive - press a button on the side of his comm unit. Both you and Bren stiffened as the remaining charge began flashing, signalling the countdown. You looked back to the green-skinned alien, his old eyes set in a defiant stare at you. He made no move to get up, no attempt to gun you down. He simply watched as he sentenced the three of you to death.

“Run!” was all you could think to say, grabbing Bren's arm and taking off the same way you came. The two of you broke into a sprint, only to be knocked off your feet as you passed into the hallway and the charge behind you exploded.

There must have been more charges throughout the structure, with the force that shook the ground beneath your feet. As you and Bren stood, there was a low rumble. For the moment that you stayed there, you saw the beginnings of rocks that began to fall from the ceiling as the tunnels caved in.

Again, you broke into a run, Bren trailing just behind you as you made your way back to the open vent system. As you went, rocks began to fall with increasing intensity around you.

No sooner had you found the light that marked the vent entrance that a loud _crack_ sounded above you. You looked up in the dim light to see a massive chunk of rock come dislodged directly above you and Bren.

Your eyes squeezed shut and your arms shot up, all of the lessons that Kylo had taught you coming back to you as you pressed against the rock with the Force. The weight of it pressed against your own strength, but as you opened your eyes you found the rock held suspended above you. You strained against it, taking in a few calming breaths to maintain your focus. It was only then that you realised the look of shock that came from Bren.

You grimaced, trying to find a place to put the boulder down when you felt more of the ceiling give way. Catching this next piece was more difficult, forcing some air out of you.

Even with your focus given so completely to holding the ceiling aloft, you knew that if you were to let go, the both of you would die. You were out of options, your strength waning the longer you pressed against the rocks. Unable to do anything else, you looked once more to Bren, taking in a shaky breath. “Get out of here.” The words left your mouth like a hiss, and Bren immediately shook his head.

“I'm not going to leave you-”

“Go!” you screamed, the fear that came with your realization boiling to the surface. You couldn't hold out forever. You were going to die down in this tunnel . . . but Bren could get out. He could survive.

He seemed to do the math in his head, his features going solemn. Giving you a grim nod, he turned and began to climb up the rope.

You watched him climb, making sure that he made it into the vent. Then, time lost meaning to you. You weren't sure how long you remained there, holding up the rubble, nor did you care. You struggled against the weight of it to give Bren as much time as you could, but you knew you were weakening.

You hadn't thought that you would die this way, on an alien world and buried in an ancient tomb. Then again, you doubted that many could accurately predict their deaths.

Part of you wanted to scream that it wasn't fair, that this wasn't your war. You wanted to think that you didn't deserve this fate, but then you thought of Kylo, of a young boy who was forced to live the life that others picked for him. He had betrayed and killed and yet you had grown close to him. And he had grown close to you.

_I won't let anything happen to you, I promise._

A noble intention, but an impossible promise.

You gritted your teeth, running forward as you let the rocks fall around you, plunging you into darkness.

\-----

The blizzard and battle that raged around Kylo wasn't enough to hide the tremor he felt through the Force, nor the rumble that shook the frozen earth beneath his feet. The few remaining Resistance guerillas stopped their fighting for just a moment, pausing in recognition.

Kylo stopped too, sensing fear and pain even across the great distance that separated the two of you. Fear and pain, then an empty silence.

Rage coiled in his stomach, clouding his vision as he turned his focus to the Resistance fighters. He made quick work of them, unleashing himself on them and leaving them in several pieces in the snow.

Then he was heading through the snow towards the speeders, ignoring the wind as it whipped through his cloak. He ignored the calls of his soldiers, and the snow that blurred the world around him. His only thought was of you, of the fire in his chest at the thought of you being gone.

_No,_ he resolved, pushing the thought away. He would find you, keep you safe.

He had promised you that much.

\-----

The darkness that you opened your eyes to was so complete, so endless that you thought you might have died somewhere between when the tunnel collapsed and when you stirred awake. Cold stone against your cheek and an aching in your bones let you know that you were, in fact, alive.

How long you would stay that way was another matter.

As you tried to move, your breath caught in your throat as you swallowed a scream. Pain twinged in your side, along your ribs and your leg, letting you know that you were pinned beneath a chunk of earth. Suddenly aware of its weight pressing down on you, of the way it hurt to breathe or even move.

But you were alive.

Taking in small, sharp breaths to keep the pain in your side from flaring, you let your mind focus, trying to forget the world around you. _Move_ , you thought desperately, willing the rock to lift.

You let out a cry of pain when the rubble didn't budge. How much rock were you buried under, you wondered? More than enough to make a rescue seem like an impossibility.

_Move._ You bared your teeth, the need to free yourself overcoming the peace of mind you tried to attain. You had to get loose, then you could find a way out.

_Move!_ Frustration and desperation funneled up in you, tears of frustration and pain beginning to streak down your cheeks. Finally, the rock on top of you budged. Through the pain, you groaned with ferocity as you pushed all of your strength into lifting the rubble. The pressure against your bones was alleviated, leaving a throbbing in its wake. Still, you took the opportunity and dragged yourself out from under its weight, backing up until your back hit another pile of rocks before you let it all tumble back to the ground.

Hissing in a breath of air, you tried to catch your breath again as you sat upright. Once you had managed that, you tried to stand in the darkness. The leg that had been pinned under the rubble flared as you did so, but you were able to remain upright.

You waited for your eyes to adjust to the dark, though without any light it was almost impossible to make out anything.

_Just breathe,_ you reminded yourself. Using the rubble around you as a guide, you began to feel your way around the room. It was a slow, agonizing process, and you couldn't be sure how long you stumbled around in the dark. Or how long you would have air.

You barely caught yourself as you lost your footing, crying out as your ribs collided with the boulder you leant against. Anger was the first thing to come to the surface, a scream that caught in your throat. Balling up your fists until your nails dug into your skin, you shook with rage. You hated that this might be your end, that you might die stumbling around in the dark.

It was strange, you had been so ready to die, so prepared to be a martyr until the hope of living presented itself. You didn't want to die.

You wanted to live.

_“Then live.”_

The voice startled you, like stirring you from a deep sleep. It was familiar, but the memory of who it belonged to was just out of reach. Opening your eyes, you expected to be met with pitch black yet again.

Instead, you found a faint blue light that washed across the stones. At its center stood the ethereal outline of a tall, aging man. Strength radiated from him, enough to make you feel secure and wary at the same time. His face, save for his mouth and the tip of his nose, was hidden beneath a deep hood. You froze, trying to determine whether this man was a friend or foe. He seemed to examine you for a moment, remaining as still as you were. Then, wordlessly, he turned and began to walk through the mess of rubble that lay before you.

“Wait!” you called out, limping after the spectral figure. He paused for a moment, just long enough to allow you to catch up before disappearing around a corner.

You huffed, moving as quickly as you could and following the path he took. When you found him around the corner, he was continuing forward, passing through stones that stood in his way. The passage he took was small, barely wide enough for you to squeeze through. It would be painful and hard to get through, but the possibility of a way out outweighed the promise of that pain.

It was bitter work, working your way through the tiny opening. Your ribs - which you were beginning to realise were shattered - gave you the most trouble. You were grateful that you had been unconscious for most of the recovery process following your blaster injury, if this was any indication. The man paused every so often, glancing over his shoulder to ensure that you were still behind him before walking again. Finally, he stopped when you pushed free of the thin crevice, your skin covered in scrapes from the rocks you'd brushed against.

Taking in a few shallow breaths, you looked up to the cloaked man once again, only to find him staring back at you. “Who are you?” you asked, just in time for him to walk further away from you.

He gave no answer, simply continuing to walk ever-onward.

You swore, what hope you had beginning to drown yet again. At least, until you took in the room around you.

In the dim light that the man's ghostly outline gave off, you could see familiar intricacies decorating carved walls on either side of you. For a moment you thought that you might be in the same antechamber where the Resistance had been holed out, until you noticed a staircase going down into another level in front of you.

As you approached the edge of the platform you stood on, what little breath you had was taken away.

A massive, empty chamber was laid out before you, lined on either side with empty outcroppings. Holding cells, you realised, from the ancient prison you'd been told about. There were dozens, all of them long empty. It was an eerie scene, like the cells were waiting to be filled again.

You scanned the room warily as you descended the stairs, keeping an eye on the specter leading the way. “How old is the place?” you wondered aloud, expecting no answer.

_“Old enough to be forgotten.”_ The answer startled you, the same not-so-familiar voice as before.

“And what about you?” you pressed, bpth to take your mind off the pain in your leg and out of curiosity.

Again, much to your chargin, there was no answer.

You weren't sure how long the two of you traveled into the ancient prison, only that your leg and ribs were getting worse with every moment. It was a possibility that you were following this ghost to your death, that he was not leading you to a way out at all. All the same, you kept following him, weakening with each step.

Until you came to a dead end.

You let out a sharp, deflating sigh as the man stopped, gazing towards the stone in front of the two of you. It might have been a way out, once; the stone in front of you was jagged and mismatched, different from the carved walls at your sides. Now though . . . there would be no leaving through that way.

Your doubt only worsened as you watched the man vanish into the air, leaving you in darkness yet again.

A curse was the first thing that came to mind, pulled up by the feeling of betrayal that burned deep in your gut. You had been left to die.

_“You have decided your own failure.”_ The same voice came echoing through the tunnel, seeming to come from all around you. _“You will not die here unless you choose to.”_

“The passage is caved in, I-”

_“You have the power to shake worlds, if you would only use it.”_ The words struck a chord with you, and it occurred to you that they were not so different from words you had heard in a vision not so long ago.

Still, you heard the truth that the man offered and closed your eyes once again. You reached down into the depths of your emotion, to all of the things that you had been suppressing for weeks and months. You let yourself feel the searing pain in your ribs, the throbbing of your leg. You remembered the frustration you felt from every failed lesson with Kylo, the pride that came with every success. You let your anger boil through to the surface, and your focus heightened. Lastly, you thought of Kylo, of the promises you'd made each other and the care you felt for him. There would be much to tell him, if you made it through this. _When_ you made it through this.

You weren't sure how, but now, in the darkness with broken bones and filled to the brim searing determination, you felt more powerful than you ever had before. In your mind's eye, you swore you could see the cloaked man smile.

The wave you sent out through the Force when you opened your eyes brought with it an elemental fury. Light sparked from your fingertips for a moment before the power slammed into the stone in front of you. There was a great rumble as the rock gave way to your power, coming apart and flying through the air, giving way to a blinding light.

Cold air hit you hard, and the presence of the spectral man was gone. Slowly, weakly, you took your first steps out into the blizzard that waited outside. It didn't take long for the passage you'd emerged from to disappear in the flurry behind you.

\-----

The listening post was still standing when Kylo returned, though parts of the mountain it was built into had crumbled. He paid no mind to the soldiers who rushed in to assess the damage, nor the Captain who tried to refer their reports.

Kylo's only intention was to find you.

Finally, a young officer with a hollow look caught the eye of the Knight of Ren. His uniform was dirty, his face dusted with dirt and a few scrapes cut into his dark skin. He didn't dare to look at Ren, which was telling enough that he knew something.

“ _Where is she?_ ” Kylo stalked over to the officer who finally looked up to meet the masked man's gaze.

The man swallowed, guilt washing over his face. “We engaged the Resistance fighters in the tunnels beneath the base. She . . . she stayed behind so I could get out.”

Kylo reacted before he truly processed the news, throwing the officer off of his feet with the Force. He didn't watch to see where the boy landed, instead activating his lightsaber in a rage. No sooner was he about to bring it down on whatever was in his path, that a pull on his mind stopped in dead in his tracks.

_You were alive._

“I'm going out there.” Kylo didn't give his men time to protest, deactivating his lightsaber and heading back for his speeder. Only the Captain was brave enough to follow him.

“Sir, we were lucky to reach the base with the storm going on, the odds of finding her-”

“I'm not interested in your opinion.” It was all he said before he sped back out into the storm.

\-----

You were beginning to regret not wearing your winter gear when you went into the tunnels. The wind that battered against you was bad enough without the snow that it brought with it. It stung as it hit your face and hands and turned everything around you into a blank white.

Snot ran from your nose and froze to your face, and your body shook against the frigid cold. Even with your hands tucked into your armpits, you had not had feeling in your fingertips for a long time.

The power that you'd felt before was gone, replaced now with exhaustion and agony as you trudged through the snow. Or crawled, as soon as your bad leg finally gave out.

You had no idea where you were, you realised. With the snow that whirled around you, any hope of finding where you were was gone. _I should have stayed in that damn tunnel,_ you thought gruffly, realising your error. You had been so eager to free yourself of the prison, you had thrown sense to the wind.

Still, you would be damned if you were going to die without a fight. It may be a pitiful, half-broken fight, but you would give it your all nonetheless.

Something tugged at your attention, a frantic feeling that wasn't your own coming over you. It was gone quickly, not able to hold a candle to the pain you were in. You didn't dwell on it, either, instead focusing on trying to get back on your feet to spare your freezing hands. What focus you had to spare was fading fast as everything finally began to catch up to you.

You didn't notice the shouting that sounded through the blizzard, or the dark figure that materialized through the snow at your side.

The only thing that made you stop your march was a pair of arms looping around you. You screamed as whoever it was put pressure on your ribs. The grip on you changed in response, taking your arms instead and turning you to look into a pair of wide, brown eyes.

You felt your eyelids go heavy, but you managed a small smile as you looked up at Kylo. He felt warm against the snow and wind. And he had found you. Somehow, he had kept his promise.

“Ben,” you smiled again, wavering in and out of consciousness. You could have sworn that he said your name, but everything faded away before you could catch anything else.


End file.
